Eustby, Johan

Johan Eustby was born on October 23, 1879 in the town of Ikjefjord in the municipality of Lavik in Sogn og Furan . His love of poetry showed up when he was a student at a public high school in the city of Sogndal. One of his teachers, Jens Kvåle, published in Nynorsk periodical Ungdom (Youth) ^[1] , his first poem. After graduating from public school, he entered the teacher training college in Elverum ^[2] . After college, he worked as a teacher in the Norwegian villages of Frønningen and Fresvik. In 1906, he moved to the island of Lepsøya in Bergen ^[2] . There he served as a teacher at the Skotselv Army School for several decades.

In the early 1920s, Johan Eustby was a central figure in the Norwegian literary society Norwegian Folk Ballad Society (Norwegian: Den norske folkeviseringen). In his book Folkedansen i 20 år. 1903-1923 ”(20 years of folk dance, 1903-1923), he described his trip to the Faroe Islands in 1911, when a delegation of 70 Norwegians traveled around the islands to better learn the traditional Faroe dance. After that, he founded several youth societies in the country to promote folk dance.

Johan Eustby has published a lot in the weekly Norwegian magazine Nynorsk Vekeblad (Nynorsk Weekly) from its founding in 1934 until his death. There he wrote many articles and published several of his own poems. In addition, he wrote a large number of literary works, including short stories, poetry books, children's books and biographies of the Norwegian inventor, ship and whaling magnate Sven Foyn and the Norwegian champion in skiing, who reached the South Pole as part of the Royal Amundsen - Olaf Buolan expedition . According to Anna Ellefsen Kongsberg, who studied with Johan, it was he who wrote the most famous folk song “Bind deg ein blomekrans” (Make yourself a Flower Wreath).

Austbo died on December 22, 1945 in the city of Hawksund in the municipality of Evre Eiker

Johan Eustby has written many songs and tunes. His most famous song is “Den svalande vind” (The Cooling Breeze). He sang it on the radio in the program Folkemusikkhalvtimen (Half an hour of folk music) in 1939. The song has been recorded by numerous artists, such as Lillebjørn Nilsen, Finn Kalvik and Helene Bøksle. The music of the song is based on an old folk song, the lyrics to the song Austbo tells about the unfortunate love story “Attom fjella her sør” (Over the mountains in the south). Johan Eustby was very surprised that several decades after the song was written, it was recognized as a folk (“folk song from Telemark”), while the melody and words for the song were his own.

Johan Eustby was the son of the farmer and builder Hans Einarson Østerbø and Sigrid Botolfsdatter Måren. He became the grandfather of pianist Haakon Austby and the great-grandfather of photographer Frode Fjerdingstad (b. 1975) and artist Bard Ash.

Peru Johan Austbo own works:

• Austbø, Johan (1904). Heim . Voss: Unglydens bokhandel.
• Austbø, Johan (1906). Korn og kransar . Voss.
• Austbø, Johan (1908). Einar Tambeskjelvar: ei sogebok i kvæde . Bergen: Det Vestlandske Maalkontor.
• Austbø, Johan (1911). Paa urudd veg: fortelnad . Bergen.
• Austbø, Johan (1919). Fagerheim: spel i tri vendingar . Risør: Erik Gunleikson.
• Austbø, Johan (1923). Olav Sletto. Ein studie . Oslo.
• Austbø, Johan, & Einar Øygard (ed.) (1923?). Folkedansen i 20 aar: 1903-1923 . Ski: Den norske folkeviseringen.
• Austbø, Johan, & Olaf Hanssen (1928). Bar og blom: til upplesing i ungdomslag / samla av Johan Austbø og Olaf Hanssen . Oslo: Norli.
• Austbø, Johan, & Olaf Hanssen (1930). Bar og blom: til upplesing i ungdomslag, Andre samlingi / samla av Johan Austbø og Olaf Hanssen . Oslo: Norli.
• Austbø, Johan, & Olaf Hanssen (1932). Bar og blom: til upplesing i ungdomslag, Tridje samling / samla av Johan Austbø og Olaf Hanssen . Oslo: Norli.
• Austbø, Johan (1933). Skjemtboka: Norsk humor . Oslo: Norli.
• Austbø, Johan (1939). Norsk skjemt . Oslo: Norli.
• Austbø, Johan (1941). Bjørgulv og brørne hans: forteljing for born . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1942). Snodige sellar . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1943). Sissel: ei gløgg og forlevande smågjente . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1943). Festtalar: i selskap og samkomor, i lag og lyd, i gjestebod og gilde . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1943). Høvisk framferd: sed og skikk . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1943). Svend Foyn: mannen og verket hans . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1945). Olav Bjåland: idrottsmann og polfarar . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1946). Gunnar og geitosten, med tekningar av Jens R. Nilssen . Oslo: Fonna forlag.
• Austbø, Johan (1948). Sissel reiser til Oslo . Oslo.